morocco

[derek pringle]

Hi all,

My wife and I are considering a trip to Morocco in our motorhome and wondered if anybody out there would be willing to share any tips or information that may help us. We would love to visit the square in Marrakech during the trip but do not know if there are any sites close enough to make this possible.What time of year is best?. Also any info on which is the best ferry etc would be really usefull. Thanks in anticipation of any replies.

 

derek

[Andy_C]

For visiting Marrakech we used Camping Ferdauos which is on the Casablanca road (N9) around 11km from the centre.

 

They have a minibus service which runs in and out of the city.

 

There is a car park in the city, very close to the Djemm el Fnaa, where overnight stays have been possible but I must say that driving in the city is not for the faint hearted!

 

The main ferry route is Algeciras to Ceuta or Tangiers, the crossing to Ceuta being a bit cheaper, plus the diesel in Ceuta is cheaper than that in both Spain and Morocco (unless you are happy running on the lower grade Moroccan diesel). Best place for tickets is Agence de Viages Normandie which is adjacent to Carrefour at Palmones (exit 112 from the E-15/A7) and you can stay overnight in the Lidl car park which is nearby.

 

Best time of year is a difficult one, most motorhome visitors go between November and March, but many of the coastal campsites are pretty busy and overcrowded at that time of year. If I had the chance I'd go back at the end of the 'winter season', say from March to May, it's not so busy, it won't be too hot, there is less risk of snow over the mountain passes and the country is a lot greener!.

 

There's lots of info in the Vicarious Books Camping Morocco guide: http://www.vicariousbooks.co.uk/camping-morocco.htm

 

Andy

[mike.wittamore]

Hello Derek We have just returned from a 9 week trip that included 4 weeks in Morocco. Firstly there are camp sites around Marrakech, and almost everywhere you go in Morocco. When I say camp sites I‘m not talking Caravan Club type sites, for most you will want to use your on board facilities, but they have electric ( of a sort) some where to empty your loo and water ( don’t drink it). The most important thing is the sense of security being with other motor homes at night, not that we at any time felt at risk. The most important thing is to make sure your vehicle is well serviced and that the brakes and tyres are in perfect order. The roads near the coast are not at all bad as far as Agadir but if you go inland it’s a different story, we took our Hymer to places I would have thought twice about taking a Land rover. I will try to attach a few photos but if you want more info drop me an e-mail. Regards Mike W

 

[mike.wittamore]

I'll try again

[mike.wittamore]

I just don't seem to be able to do this

[mike.wittamore]

I think there small enough now

[Brian Kirby]

Mike, you have to get the picture file size down to 100kb or less.  Er, hum - as you have just discovered!  :-)

[mike.wittamore]

Thanks Brian I think I've cracked it at last. Mike

[derek pringle]

thank you very much to all of you for your help. the info will help my wife and i a lot

cheers

derek

[peedee]

Andy_C - 2010-05-07 12:35 PM

The main ferry route is Algeciras to Ceuta or Tangiers, the crossing to Ceuta being a bit cheaper, plus the diesel in Ceuta is cheaper than that in both Spain and Morocco (unless you are happy running on the lower grade Moroccan diesel).

Andy

 

Just come back from Morocco via Ceuta and there is now only one grade of diesel available there which is to the EU standard and it is cheaper in Morocco, 0.59p per litre, than Ceuta about 0.75p per litre.

 

Just finished my log of the trip at http://www.wheelgotravelling.info/CaravanTravels_Morocco.html

 

peedee

[Andy_C]

peedee - 2010-05-25 7:17 AM

 

Andy_C - 2010-05-07 12:35 PM

The main ferry route is Algeciras to Ceuta or Tangiers, the crossing to Ceuta being a bit cheaper, plus the diesel in Ceuta is cheaper than that in both Spain and Morocco (unless you are happy running on the lower grade Moroccan diesel).

Andy

 

Just come back from Morocco via Ceuta and there is now only one grade of diesel available there which is to the EU standard and it is cheaper in Morocco, 0.59p per litre, than Ceuta about 0.75p per litre.

Do you mean there is just the one grade (Gasoil 50?) available in Morocco now?

The diesel price difference between Ceuta and Morocco does seem to vary, the first time we went the higher grade Moroccan diesel was about the same price as the normal European grade available in Ceuta, last time we found that Ceuta was a bit cheaper. Now it seems that it's cheaper in Morocco.

 

Just read your blog, I see you went to Fes rather than Meknes. I've heard that the Meknes campsite has closed, just wondering if you can confirm that?

 

Andy

[peedee]

Yes you can only get Gasoil 50 now and I think the price is controlled maybe that is why you see a fluctating differences in Ceuta prices?

 

Yup I think you are right about Meknes, I have a vague memory of someone saying it had closed.

 

peedee

[Andy_C]

peedee - 2010-05-25 1:23 PM

 

Yes you can only get Gasoil 50 now and I think the price is controlled maybe that is why you see a fluctating differences in Ceuta prices?

 

Yup I think you are right about Meknes, I have a vague memory of someone saying it had closed.

 

peedee

Sounds as if they might have reduced the price of diesel, Gasoil 50 was around 10.3Dh/l last year, the lower grade (which we used with no problems) was around 7.3Dh/l and much cheaper than that in Western Sahara.

 

Andy

[Clamper]

Diesel 50, call it what you like, is 7.3 per Lt in Morocco and is all-up euro standard.

 

You cant really compare fuel prices between Morocco and Ceuta, in fact they are very close, as Ceuta is of course Spanish!

 

I spoke to Ray [desert detours] a couple of days ago and he confirms that the Meknes campsite IS closed, and will NOT be re-opening again.

 

..

[Andy_C]

Clamper - 2010-05-25 3:05 PM

I spoke to Ray [desert detours] a couple of days ago and he confirms that the Meknes campsite IS closed, and will NOT be re-opening again.

Thanks for that, it's been under threat of closure for a few years I think. A shame, it was a pretty run down site, even by Moroccan standards, but it was very handy for the city.

 

Andy

[derek pringle]

thanks Peedee and Andy, Peedee we will enjoy reading your blog

cheers

derek

[les--Wonderers]

Morocco is a great and very safe country to visit with a motorhome but our mistake was going with Desert Detours. This company may have been good in the past when they took very small group but not now as most of us on the tour felt that Desert Detours did not live up to their promises. We paid Desert Detours 1,940 Euros per couple but calculate that if we had done the same tour on our own it would have cost each couple together less then 270 Euros for the same items paid for by Desert Detours.

 

VirariousBooks.co.uk publish a great book “Camping Morocco” that provides practically all the information required for touring Morocco, certainly better then that given by Desert Detours. Over 150,000 motorhomes go to Morocco each year, mainly French but a considerable number from the UK travelling independently. You do not need to go with an organised tour; Moroccan people are friendly and very helpful with plenty of policemen about to ask directions if required.

 

Costs paid by Desert Detours – Ferry 134 Euros (return Algeciras / Ceuta for motorhome & two adults); Campsites 93 Euros (all those used are in the “Camping Morocco” book and cost taken from that book, yes campsites are cheap in Morocco but not of a great standard); Meals about 37 Euros per couple (Ray provided 3 meals, one in Merzouga that was reasonable; a paella cooked by Francisco with little ingredients for the 40+ persons apart from rice; and a piece offering meal at Essouira, I had a piece of dried up fish); Guardians max of 2 Euros (campsites in Morocco include guardians); Museums fees - zero (as Ray did not include any in our tour). Total cost 266 Euros yet we paid Desert Detours 1940 Euros. All the restaurants we were taken to by Ray were all very expensive by Moroccan standards; we often pay less in France and Spain.

 

The tour that we were taken on was the ‘Classic Moroccan Tour’ which can be found detailed in many travel books on Morocco and the internet.

 

Ray’s had two Europeans assistants, Steve and Francisco, but both were without previous touring experience of Morocco and of motorhomes leaving us totally dependant on Hammid as Ray himself spoke only English.

 

Regarding Ray we found him to have a quick tamper and at times he was very unpleasant to quite a number on our tour. Even Debbie Ray’s wife had warned Francisco of Ray’s temper before leaving on the trip. One client of Desert Detours had to cancel his trip with our tour after paying the deposit due to his wife being diagnosed with terminal cancer but Ray refused to reimburse him his deposit.

 

Ray included horror stories at each of his daily briefings which we felt were included to justify our reason for travelling with him, strange how many 1000’s of others tour Morocco independently without incidents. A number of independent British motorhome travellers we met during our tour said that they had had zero problems interring Morocco or during their travels. Ray appeared to care more for his dog, which went on the tour, then his clients. All these views on Desert Detours were talked about between us and even his assistants during the tour. When the tour departed Essouira and headed back to Spain one of our group was left stranded in Essouira due to a mechanical breakdown.

 

Anyway had a great holiday but should not have gone with Desert Detours.

 

Beware – Desert Detours are also using this site to post anonymous great reviews about themselves.

[les--Wonderers]

Attach toour details

[olley]

This guy is a spammer, been booted off "facts" for multiple posts in different forums today.

 

Olley

[Guest JudgeMental]

while I would never go on an organised tour, your report sounds like sour grapes to me. I am an adult and quite capable of doing my own homework and the math before signing up. I also dislike the personal nature of your criticism. This is a tour business and while it, may seem harsh not to refund a deposit for whatever that is what travel insurance is for....

 

 

 

Aah...just saw Olleys post above ;-)

[Andy_C]

Sour grapes it may be, but it's whether the post is factual or not that matters.

 

It is true that not everyone gets on with Ray or his style of tour, it's also true that many of his clients are very happy and return several times.

 

People do worry about going to Morocco, it's perfectly possible to go it alone but travelling with an organised group does give peace of mind to some. It certainly pays to do some research first, no harm in balancing positive reviews with the occasional negative one, as long as they are truthful of course.

 

I don't know the position with MHFacts but it would be a pity if negative reviews were being pulled just because they were critical.

 

Andy

[olley]

Andy_C - 2010-05-28 12:33 PM

 

I don't know the position with MHFacts but it would be a pity if negative reviews were being pulled just because they were critical.

 

Andy

 

He posted four identical posts in four different forums, one on the end of an ongoing thread about DD, and three times on other forums at random, mods said that three had been removed, but the one on the DD thread has been left. So no, negative posts as long as they are factual are not pulled.

 

Olley

[olley]

Andy_C - 2010-05-28 12:33 PM

 

I don't know the position with MHFacts but it would be a pity if negative reviews were being pulled just because they were critical.

 

Andy

 

He posted four identical posts in four different forums, one on the end of an ongoing thread about DD, and three times on other forums at random, mods said that three had been removed, but the one on the DD thread has been left. So no, negative posts as long as they are factual are not pulled.

 

Olley

[doonhamer]

I had the misfortune to be on the same DD trip as les--Wonderers and agree with most of his comments.  There is no question that Ray is passionate and knowlegeable about Morocco but his brusque manner towards clients was at times rude and unacceptable.  Also the size of the group at 19 vans was much larger than DD had led me and others to expect and as a result there were parking problems at nearly every site.

Despite DD I enjoyed Morocco and am planning to return.

[Clamper]

Interesting post on MHFacts now, a rare responce to this rubbish by DD and goes a long way to show what really goes on and some of the pond-life [who give us all a bad name] people they, DD, have to deal with!

 

If it was the Feb tour this year that they on about, are they the drunken Brits that the camps at Meski, Ouazzazte and Essauarra are still talking about?

 

.